• HON. CHIEF JAMES MARAPE, GCl, MP;
• HON. SOROI MARE PO EOE, CMG, MP;
• SECRETARY FOR DEPARTMENT OF PROVINOAl & lOCAL lEVEL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, MR PHIUP lEOj
• PROVINCIAL ADMINISTORS;
• DISllNGUISHED GUESTS; AND,
• LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
OPENING REMARKS
Good morning.
• It is my distinct honor and privilege to stand before you today. On behalf of Secretary Philip Leo, our esteemed Provindal Administrators, and the wider Papua New GuInea public service, 1 extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to each of you as we convene for the 2026 Provincial Administrators Conference.
• 1 wish to offer a very special welcome to the Prime Minister, Hon. Chief James Marape, GeL, MP, and to the Minister for Provindal and Local Level Government Affairs, Hon. 5orol Marepo Eoe, CMG, MP. Your presence here today sends a powerful and reassuring message to every Provlndal Administrator gathered In this room-that the National Government stands firmly committed to strengthening governance and enhandng service deJlvery across all levels of our government.
• To our Provlndal Administrators: you are the backbone of sub- national governance In Papua New Guinea. Your role is not mereJy procedural; It Is Indispensable. You are the vital bridge between national policy and the everyday realities of our people, In every ward, every village, and every remote community of this great nation. Your dedication ensures that the vision of government translates Into meaningful Impact for our dtizens.
CONTEXT: THE YEAR OF RESET
• Ladies and Gentlemen, we gather today at a defining moment in Papua New Guinea’s history. We have just passed the milestone of 50 years of nationhood, SO years of striving, learning, and building. And as we enter 2026, our collective theme rings dearly: Reset, Recommit, and Dedicate for a New Beginning. These are not empty words. That is predsely the spirit In which this conference Is convened.
• The 2026 National Budget, framed under the theme Security with Growth, reflects this very ambition. Prime Minister Marape has been clear: without economic security, institutional security, and sodal security, sustainable growth is not possible. And without growth, security remains fragile. These two imperatives are inseparable, and they are at the heart of everything we do as public servants.
THE ROLE OF PROVINOAL ADMINISTRATORS
• You, our Provincial Administrators, stand at a critical juncture in the decentralisation story of this country. Pangu created the provindal government system In 1975, and this government Is determined to ensure that system works better for our people In 2026 and beyond. The Organic Law on Provlndal and local Level Governments has served us well, but we must now deflne with greater darlty the functional responsibilities of each tier of government, the national, provincial, district, and local·level.
• The Provlndal and Local Level Services Monitoring Authority or PUSMA Is being realigned to become more responsive, more results- focused, and more accountable to the sub-national sector. Iwant our Provlndal Administrators to fully embrace this realignment You must be active partiCipants, not passive observers In thIs reform process.
THE RESET@50 REFORM ROADMAP
• Ladles and Gentlemen, In November last year, the Prime Minister tabled In Parliament the Reset PNG@50 Roadmap. Papua New Guinea’s official reform blueprint for the next 20 years. This document is a result of an open, rigorous, and Inclusive national review process led by a Steering Committee chaired by Mr Charles Abel. It Is not the work of one government. It is the work of the nation.
• The Review found that after SO years, progress has been slow and uneven; that our human development indicators remain among the lowest in the Pacific; and that the wealth from our natural resources has not always translated into widespread prosperity for our people. Reset@SO is PNG’s decisive answer to that challenge, a call for national reset In mindset, institutions, and leadership culbJre.
• For us in the public service and for you as Provindal Administrators, this Roadmap is our compass. It demands accountability and transparency at every level. It demands evidence-based decision- making. It demands that we shift from business-as-usuaJ to outcomes-cJriven delivery. And it demands that we strengthen our provindal and sub-national governance systems so they can truly deliver for our people.
• Therefore, this conference Is not just a gathering, It Is a worldng session. It Is a platform for genuine dialogue, for honest assessment, and for forging the partnerships and commitments that will cany us forward. I am confident that the outcomes of this conference will serve as the blueprint for the next phase of strengthening our provindal administrations.
• Mr Charles Abel will present tomorrow on the RESET@50Agenda.
The 20-year reform roadmap that Is guiding our national renewal. I encourage aU Provincial Administrators again to engage actively In that session.
THE NATIONAL MONITORING AND COORDINATION AUTHORITY (NMCA)
• Ladies and Gentlemen, let me speak briefly about the National Monitoring and Coordination Authority, the NMCA which was launched by the Prime Minister in mid 2025. From 2019 to 2024 alone, our Government oversaw K131 billion in expenditure. And the question asked is; what have we done with this money? Has it translated into real, tangible improvements for the lives of our people?
• The NMCA is our answer to that question. It is not another layer of bureaucracy. It is a strategic oversight and whole-of-government coordination mechanism that will drive disdpline, transparency and results-based systems. It will use real-time monitOring, digital dashboards, GIS mapping and AI-enabled audits to track government
spending from Waigani all the way down to the ward level. Mr David Wereh, the inaugural CEO of the NMCA, will be presenting tomorrow on the rationale and operations of the Authority, and I encourage all of you to engage dosely with hrs presentation.
• To borrow the words of Albert Einstein: “it Is Insanity to do the same thing over and over again while expecting different results~ We must embrace decisive and transformational change. ~ Provindal Administrators, you are key delivery partners of the NMCA’s mandate. I call on each of you to embrace this platform and use it to strengthen accountability In your respective provinces.
TODAY’S LANDMARK INITIATIVES
• Ladies and Gentlemen, today, we will witness the launch and presentation of three important initiatives that I believe will have a lasting and positive impact on governance at the sub-national level.
• Arst, we will see the launch of the National Framework for Ward Development 2026-2036. This Framework provides a structured and nationally consistent approach to ward-level development planning, ensuring that growth is planned, resourced, and delivered from the grassroots up.
• Second, we will witness the launch of the National Ward Record System. A digital data platform that will give us accurate, up-to-date information at the ward level to support evidence-based development planning, informed decision-making, and equitable resource allocation. Good governance requires good data, and this System is a significant step in that direction.
• And third, we will witness the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Provindai and Local level Government Affairs, CPA PNG, and the Auditor-Generalis Office. This MOU signals a shared and formal commitment between government and the accounting and audit profession to transparency, accountability, and finandal governance at the sutrnational level. It Is a statement of seriousness that we Intend to account for fNery Kina entrusted to us.
CONCLUSION
• Ladies and Gentlemen, let me dose with this reflection.
• As we begin another SOyears of our journey, we must Reset, Recommit, and Dedicate ourselves In 2026, let us not forget why we chose public service. Let us choose excellence over mediocrity. Let us choose accountability over convenience. And let us choose our people always over ourselves.
• With those remarks, on behalf of All the Departmental Heads, the Constitutional OffICe Holders, the Heads of Statutory Bodies, Senior Public Servants and the entire public service machinery, I warmly welcome you all to the 2026 Provindal Administrators Conference. let us make the most of these two days together.
• God bless you all, and God bless Papua New Guinea •